Farewell
by Valinor Sunset
Summary: Pippin and Gandalf say goodbye to each other on the shores of the sea.


Farewell.

Peregrine Took looked out of the window of his Hobbit hole. His frown of curiosity turned into a grin of pleasure as he saw what and who was coming up the road. First he saw a brown horse. Then he saw the white figure that was driving the covered wagon that he saw next. The Hobbit threw open his door and ran out.

"Gandalf!" he shouted excitedly and ran to intercept the cart.

The wizard smiled at Pippin. It was a rather sad smile, however, since Gandalf knew something that Pippin did not. Something that would be hard to tell him and his friends. Pippin ran up to where Gandalf was sitting on the cart.

"Where are you going, Gandalf? What's in your cart?"

Hobbits were always curious.

"To the Grey Havens, master Peregrine. Tell Merry that I am here."

Pippin nodded and ran off to find his friend.

A little while later, after Pippin has told Merry about Gandalf, they were both joined by Samwise Gamgee, another one of their Hobbit friends.

"Mr. Gandalf told me to find you. He said that we were to get some ponies and ride down to the Grey 'avens. I saw Mr. Frodo get into his cart. I dunno what's goin' on, but I guess we should be going soon."

Merry nodded. "C'mon Pip. Let's get us some ponies."

In a little while, the three Hobbits were riding slowly in front of Gandalf's cart toward the Grey Havens.

When they arrived at the Grey Havens, the three Hobbits watched as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins stepped out of the cart. Samwise smiled. Bilbo was Frodo's once adventurous uncle. He was now very old. He had, by now, outlived even the old Took! Gandalf stepped off of the cart and walked side by side with Bilbo and Frodo. He motioned for the three Hobbits to follow, so they hopped off their ponies and did so. They passed under an archway and walked out onto a stone dock. Standing on the opposite end of the dock next to a gangplank that led onto the deck of a grey ship stood four elves. Bilbo look up in wonder.

"Well, here's a site I have never seen before."

The four elves were Galadriel, Celeborn, Círdan and Elrond. Galadriel looked toward and spoke.

"The power of the three rings is ended. The time has come for the dominion of Men."

Then Elrond spoke some words in Elvish.

"I Aear cân ven na mar."

"The Sea calls us home."

He spread out his arms and Bilbo smiled.

"I think I'm quite ready for another adventure!"

The old Hobbit then walked forward, and taking Elrond's hand walked onto the ship. Galadriel looked at the group that was watching from the other end of the dock and smiled. Then she and Celeborn and Círdan all walked onto the ship. Now it was only Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry and Gandalf that remained. Gandalf, who had been standing in front of the four Hobbits, turned to them. He smiled and leaned on his staff.

"Farewell, my brave Hobbits. My work is now finished. Here at last, on the shores of the sea, comes the end of our Fellowship."

Merry and Pippin began crying.

"I will not say, "Do not weep", for not all tears are an evil."

Pippin stepped forward and took Gandalf's hand in his.

"Do you really have to leave, Gandalf?" Even as he spoke, tears rolled down the Hobbit's face.

Gandalf knelt down so that he was at eye-level with the Hobbit.

"My time here is ended. I'm sorry, my dear."

Pippin shook his head.

"You can't leave, Gandalf! Why can't you stay? Please…"

Gandalf shook his head. He looked into Pippin's eyes. He blinked and squeezed Pippin's hand tighter. Then he wrapped both arms around the young Hobbit and hugged him tightly. Pippin's tears poured down upon his shoulder, and the wizard could not control his own. Memories flooded into Gandalf's mind of how Pippin had once been a rather foolish Hobbit, doing many things that he should not have done. He remembered the time when Pippin had taken the palantir and looked into it. It was a foolish thing to have done, but without Pippin seeing Sauron's plan, the city of Minas Tirith may not have been ready for battle in time. The time that he had spent with Pippin at Minas Tirith was a time that Gandalf would treasure forever. It was a time when Pippin grew from a 'Fool of a Took' into a brave Guard of the Citadel.

Gandalf hugged Pippin tighter and let his own tears flow freely. After a moment, Pippin released himself from his tight hold and looked into his face.

"Please…c-can't you stay… just a little bit longer?"

Gandalf took both of Pippin's hands in his.

"You must understand, Pippin," he began. "I… cannot stay any longer. My time here is over. I must leave." He stood up and turned away. Pippin turned to his three Hobbit friends. He went and stood next to Merry, who was crying as well. Then Gandalf turned and spoke.

"It is time, Frodo."

Sam looked at Frodo in surprise.

"What does he mean?" 

Frodo looked into Sam's face.

"We set out to save the Shire, Sam. And it has been saved. But not for me."

Samwise began to weep.

"You don't mean that. You can't leave!"

Frodo drew out a book from under his cloak. He handed it to Sam.

"The last pages are for you, Sam."

Samwise recognized it as the book that Frodo had been writing in when he was in Bag End. Frodo then turned and embraced Merry, and then he hugged Pippin. He then turned again to Sam, and gave him a large embrace. Sam wept on Frodo's shoulder, but Frodo gently released his hold, and, placing both hands on the Hobbit's shoulders, kissed him on the forehead. He then turned away from his friends and walked forward, taking Gandalf's outstretched hand. They both walked onto the ship. Gandalf paused for a moment, and Pippin caught his gaze. Pippin could not restrain himself. He ran toward the gangplank and as Gandalf saw him coming, he let go of Frodo's hand and knelt down again, catching Pippin as he flung himself into his embrace. The wizard and the Hobbit wept together in each other's arms. After a few moments they let go of each other and looked for the last time into each other's faces.

"Farewell, Pippin."

"Goodbye…. Gandalf."

Pippin was about to turn away when Gandalf put his hand on his shoulder. The Hobbit turned around.

"I love you, Pippin. I always have."

Then the wizard quickly got up and walked onto the ship. Frodo, however, had lingered, and before he turned to board the ship he smiled at his friends. It was a pure smile, a smile of pure happiness. A smile that remained in the hearts of his three Hobbit friends as they watched the grey ship pass into the west.


End file.
